She sings, dances, and speaks three languages fluently. Meet this week’s campus celebrity, Chiyo Monna!
Amy Yonemoto: You won a singing competition held at our university and most recently went to Beijing to perform for a music show. You could say singing is a huge part of your life. How did you get into it?
Chiyo Monna: I can’t remember why and how I got into this, but one thing I can be very sure of is that I sing because it’s the best feeling in the world. I got the job offer from Beijing TV and they found me through this Chinese website that’s similar to Youtube called Meipai. The name of the TV show was Who is the Singer “Ge Shou Shi Shei”, on Beijing TV. I post videos every week of me singing, playing piano, guitar, and sometimes even cooking. I have about 20k followers now and my most viewed video online has over 560k views! It’s my acoustic version of Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend”. I still don’t think I’m a singer yet, but I believe I will be in the near future because this feeling always motivates me to keep working hard.
Amy: Could you tell us what it was like filming for the show?
Chiyo: It was amazing even though we had to practice dancing and singing almost everyday. All I felt was the excitement for the up and coming show and happiness being around other people who are as passionate about this as I am. I was so nervous the day before we performed on a stage. I couldn’t stop talking and my body was shaking all over, but the moment I got on stage, I felt as though I became a different person. The nerves were gone and all that was left was confidence and the most important feeling was to have fun with it. The feeling of being on stage is unforgettable. They called me the Waseda Uta-Hime and I’m on the episode that aired on October 3. I actually won the prize in the show!
Amy: It’s common for those openly pursuing their dreams to get a lot of mixed feedback. What kind of reactions have you gotten from singing?
Chiyo: I’m gaining a lot of actual fans and followers on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, and MeiPai. I’m very happy about it, but it’s also the first time I’ve ever received hate mail as well. I was a little shocked at first, but I know that in the future I might be receiving worse. No matter what, I am ready to face whatever this career brings.
Amy: What language is it easiest for you to sing in? Since you are trilingual. No big deal..
Chiyo: Well, I guess all of them are about the same, and I believe this is also my biggest strength because I can sing a song using my own emotion, with unique understanding of the lyrics and melodies thanks to the influences of all three of my cultures.
Amy: Aside from singing what do you enjoy doing?
Chiyo: I like to compose or arrange music using my guitar, ukulele or piano, and record it to post online so that I can share my musical ideas and my voice to others. I go to dance two to three times a week to improve my stage performance when I’m singing. I am also really into EDM music, thus I’m always there when music festivals like Ultra and Electrox come to Japan. Oh well, I feel like all of these are centered with singing. (laughs) Other than interests in music, I like to cook and go to the gym!
Amy: Are you working on any current projects?
Chiyo: I can’t say much about the details, but yes I am working on something with a highly respected Japanese producer. I hope it goes well so I can tell you guys about it in the near future. Basically, I translate lyrics that the producer provides me into Chinese, or sometimes even write my own lyrics. I’ve recorded a few songs already and I am hoping to enter the Chinese music industry in the future. I want to devote my everything into my singing career so when I have free time I usually spend it all on singing or recording, making lyrics, practicing guitar and piano, as well as going to dance school.
Amy: To wrap things up, what are some goals you have for the future?
Chiyo: If I am lucky enough I want to debut by next April, before my 21st birthday in Japan. Then I want to eventually get into the Chinese music industry and improve the relationship between China and Japan, since I have both cultures in my blood
Amy: Thank you for sharing, Chiyo! I look forward to hearing more about your singing career. Best of luck!